Jack & Lisa
by Everythingistaken
Summary: A couple of oneshots about Jack and Lisa. Potential scenes that were never fully exploited by the writers and some that we never got to see on screen, through all the seasons. Wishes from all the "Jisa"-Lovers are welcome and regarded! (I do not own the characters)
1. The chickenpox

**Hey everyone, I just realized that there are almost no fanfics about Jack and Lisa out there which is a shame! I had a couple of scenes I wish we would have seen on screen and a couple of ideas for storylines based on scenes we DID get to see. First one is one of the ideas I got when I was watching season 8 episode 13 again :). I hope you'll enjoy it, it's a little fluffy and easy oneshot (I could add one more chapter to continue the "chickenpox-storyline" if you'd like me to).**

 **If you have anything you would like me to write just let me know!**

* * *

 _"Peep, peep, peep, peep, peep"_ , Lisa's alarm kept buzzing unceasingly. "Urgh", Lisa grunted, not ready for the night to end. She pressed the snooze button and snuggled up in her cozy sheets. Even before she swung her legs over the side of the bed she knew that today wasn't going to be a very good day. Her legs were heavy, her body aching. _Please don't let it be the flu,_ Lisa thought and then dragged herself to the bathroom to take a long hot shower. Afterwards she drank an extra cup of coffee, hoping it would give her some of her energy back. She spent the nights at Heartland quiet often since she got married to Jack and usually missed the busy mornings when she slept at Fairfield. But that morning Lisa was glad she had some peace and quiet before she had to start the day. She kept instilling herself coffee and diet coke to get through the day and was relieved when the flower shop confirmed her order for Amy's wedding bouquets because that meant that she could finally drive over to Jack. He always knew a way to cheer her up.

She found him in the barn, giving Paint a brush. "Hey cowboy", Lisa smiled weakly as she saw her husband.  
"Hey there", Jack greeted her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "You're hot", he exclaimed. Lisa chuckled gently: "Thank you, Gentlemen."  
"I mean figuratively hot. As in feverish hot – are you feeling OK?" Jack asked concerned. "  
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit under the weather", Lisa answered and smiled reassuring. "Well, you should get some rest", Jack said. He put away the brushes while Lisa sat down on a couple of hay balls that were near enough to Paint so that she could gently stroke his nose.  
"So, how was your day?" Lisa asked Jack.  
"Better than yours, I suppose", Jack laughed. "Charming", Lisa smiled sarcastically. Jack leaned forward to place another kiss on Lisa's lips and then said: "I really think you should lay down on the couch for a bit. You look beat! I'll only have to feed the horses and then I'll be with you."  
"How can I say no to that", Lisa agreed. As soon as she got up for a split second everything went black before she could see clear again. She held on to the wall until she steadied herself. "Lisa, are you sure you're OK?" Jack rushed to her side as soon as he noticed Lisa becoming unbalanced.  
"Yeah", Lisa answered slowly, "just got up a bit too fast." She sighted and then said: "I'm good now. You go, feed the horses, I'll lay down." Now Jack knew for sure that Lisa had to feel pretty bad – otherwise she never would have agreed to get some rest before dinner. He was glad when he saw her walking towards the house though and concentrated on the horses.

As soon as Lisa got into the house she knew that she wouldn't find a second of peace if she would lay down in the living room. Katie was laughing hysterically at a story Georgie was telling her, Lou and Peter were discussing their issues in the kitchen and Ty and Amy were sitting at the dining table, trying to make a couple of decisions about their wedding.  
"Hey everyone", Lisa greeted the family and got a couple of "Heys" back but was relieved when no one noticed her disappearing in Jack's bedroom.  
"What a day", she sighted and was asleep almost before she got the shoes off her feet.

A little later Jack walked into his crowded house and wondered where his wife went. "Hey Grandpa, dinner is almost ready", Lou greeted him.  
"Have you seen Lisa?" Jack asked.  
"Um, yeah, she got home maybe half an hour ago. I don't know where she's now, though", Lou answered while handing Georgie a couple of napkins that she was supposed to place on the table. "Dinner, everyone", Lou called through the house but instead of sitting down at the table Jack made his way to his bedroom where he found Lisa lying in his bed. He sat down on the side of the bed and watched her sleeping for a while. Lisa's face was as pale as the sheets, cold sweat covered her forehead. After a couple of moments Lisa woke up with the feeling that someone was watching her and found her husband staring at her. "How long have you been sitting there?" she chuckled weakly.  
"For a minute maybe. You want some dinner?" Jack asked.  
"Ugh, no thank you."  
"'kay. Let's get you out of those clothes though", Jack suggested, noticing that Lisa was still wearing her pencil skirt and blazer. Lisa sat up and even though it made her feel a little like a child she accepted Jack's help when he handed her one of his T-Shirts. "Looks like you got hit by the flu, hm?" Jack remarked when Lisa was just about to drift off to sleep again.  
"I'll be better tomorrow", Lisa whispered. Jack doubted it when he kissed his wife on the forehead before he got her some water. By the time he placed the water bottle on the nightstand Lisa was already asleep again. Jack joined the rest of the family for dinner.  
"Where's Lisa?" Amy asked Jack when he sat down, "she was here a couple of minutes ago, wasn't she?"  
"Yeah, she's feeling a bit under the weather, she's sleeping right now", Jack explained.  
"Oh no, does she need anything?" Lou asked concerned. "No, just some sleep", Jack smiled. Even though Lou and Lisa have differences every once in a while Jack knew they cared a lot about each other.

Lisa slept through the night but when she woke up the next morning her body was still as heavy and aching as the day before. She got out of bed anyway and dragged herself under the shower to wash off the dried sweat the feverish night has caused. Jack was already out as usual and when Lisa walked into the kitchen to grab a drink Lou and Katie were the only ones still sitting at the kitchen table.  
"Good morning", Lisa said. "Hey Lisa, how are you feeling?" Lou asked even though she could tell from her pale face that she couldn't be feeling too good. "Oh, I'm fine", Lisa smiled, "just a cold."  
"Well, you look like you should spend the day in bed anyhow", Lou remarked, "Why don't you stay here? I can guarantee that Katie and I will nurse you back to health in no time, right Katie?"  
"Yeah, in no time", Katie nodded very seriously. Lisa laughed: "That's hard to decline but I have a couple of potential customers coming to look at some horses at Fairfield in an hour. I better get there to see if everything is prepared."  
"The offer persists", Lou smiled. Lisa was just as stubborn as her Grandpa when it came to these things. "Have a good day, you two", Lisa stroke Katie's hair and then grabbed her keys. "You too. And get better soon!"

* * *

At Fairfield the staff had already prepared everything for the clients so Lisa decided to get some paper work done in her office from where she could overview most of Fairfield through the window. Her head was throbbing even though she had already taken some ibuprofen and she was freezing despite the layers of pullovers she was wearing. At that point Lisa knew that Lou had been right and that she probably should have stayed in bed. But it was too late for that anyway so she could just as well get some work done. instead of concentrating on her work Lisa stared outside the window for a while, watching a couple of horses grazing, her staff brushing two horses, a dog chasing a cat across the fields. Before she knew it she fell asleep with her head resting on the table until a very familiar voice woke her up: "Here you are!" Lisa lifted her head and saw her husband standing in the doorframe of her office.  
"Jack! What are you doing here?" Lisa asked while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I was surprised when you weren't at home anymore when I got back from letting the horses out and got worried when you didn't answer your phone. You were pretty beat last night."  
Lisa got her phone out of her purse and realized that Jack had called her four times. "Sorry, I must have turned the sound off last night." Jack walked towards her and leaned against her desk: "Are you feeling any better?" "Yeah, thanks", Lisa lied and Jack knew it right away. "You don't have to lie to me", he said gently and kneeled down so that he was face to face with his wife. "Lisa, look at you – you are shaking! You need to get back to bed!"  
"I can't, I have –", Lisa argued but Jack stopped her in the middle of the sentence: "I'm not taking no for an answer." He gently forced her out of the chair and stabilized her when he realized that she was a bit weak on her feet. He looked at her concerned and then noticed a nasty rash on her collarbone. "What's that?" he asked while carefully inspecting the red marks on Lisa's skin, "does that hurt?"  
"What do you mean?" Lisa asked confused and looked down at herself, "oh. I haven't noticed that. No, it doesn't hurt."  
"Lisa, did you have the chickenpox when you were a child?"  
"Uhm... Yeah, I think so, why?"  
"Because I think Georgie might have passed them onto you", Jack answered.  
"Oh no", Lisa moaned, "please not!"  
"Come on, let's get you to bed and I'll get the doctor to take a look."  
"I can't believe it", Lisa groaned, "I'm sure I had them as a child."

Minutes later Lisa was settled in her bed, sweating and freezing in turns while waiting for the doctor. "You really don't have to stay here with me", Lisa whispered. Jack was sitting next to her on the bed, reading that days newspapers. "I know. But I'll stay", he remarked. Finally the doorbell rang (which was a sound Jack hasn't heard since years) and a little later the doctor confirmed Jack's suspicion. Lisa had the chickenpox! He left something against the fever and the rash and when Jack led him to the door he said: "Chickenpox are much more dangerous for adults than they are for kids. Don't let her out of your eyes, Jack. If she's becoming weaker or drowsier, if the fever won't go down despite of the paracetamol, if she's having trouble breathing: Call me right away! She needs to drink plenty even though she's not feeling like it, don't let her a choice."  
"I'll watch her like a hawk. Thank you for coming so quick", Jack shook the befriended doctor's hand and then got back to the bedroom with a fresh water bottle.  
"I can't believe I have the chickenpox, Jack", Lisa said quietly while Jack drew the curtains together. "Quite frankly: Me neither", Jack chuckled, "but we'll get you back on your feet in no time. Get some rest now, I'll be in the living room if there's anything you need, just call me."  
"Hmm", Lisa, whispered, "thank you, Jack", before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Jack sat down in Lisa's tastefully decorated living room and called Lou.  
"Oh no, poor Lisa", Lou sighted when she heard the news, "is there anything we can do?"  
"No, thank you, honey. I'll just stay here with her for the next couple of days or so, so don't expect me back tonight."  
"Of course," Lou answered but then asked, "why don't you take her to Heartland? We can all keep an eye on her here."  
"Yeah, that's what I thought at first, too. But she's really not feeling that well and with all of us rushing through the house all day – I think she'll get more rest here. At least for now."  
"Ok. Should I bring you some clothes?" Lou asked.  
"That would be great!" Jack answered. Lisa had taken over parts of his closet at Heartland because she spends most of the nights with Jack when she's not in France but since they were rarely at Fairfield together Jack had next to nothing stored at her place.

The day passed and Lisa spent most hours sleeping. As soon as the drugs eased off the fever rose again and Lisa was tossing and turning in bed. Jack was infusing her as much water as possible and unsure whether or not her state of health was already concerning or not. Jack laid another blanked over the shivering Lisa when Lou knocked gently on the bedroom's door.  
"Hey Grandpa", she whispered, "I got your clothes." "Thank you, sweetheart", Jack whispered back and took the bag out of her hands.  
"How's she doing?" Lou asked in her normal voice as soon as Jack closed the door behind them. "I don't know. I called Jon earlier and he said that I should keep an eye on her because apparently chickenpox aren't as easy going for adults as they are for kids. I'm not sure if she's just having the normal symptoms of chickenpox now or if I should already be concerned", Jack confessed.

Lou, as an experienced mother of two daughters that got sick every once in a while, entered Lisa's bedroom again. Lisa was still sleeping uneasily. The rash had started to spread and even in her sleep Lisa was scratching her arms. _Seems like it caught her hard,_ Lou thought, feeling bad because Lisa obviously got sick because she took care of Georgie the week before when Lou was away. Georgie still had red marks on her skin all over her body so Lou knew that Lisa was just at the beginning of the illness. She opened a window to let some fresh air in and felt Lisa's forehead for a moment. When Jack walked into the room she asked: "Can she take another paracetamol? She burning up."  
"Yeah, it's been long enough since she took the first one."  
Jack gently woke his wife up. "Hm?" Lisa "asked", forcing her eyes to open. Then she saw the pill in Jack's hand and knew why he woke her up. She thankfully took the medicine and the water. "How are you feeling?" Lou asked. Lisa didn't even wonder what her husband's granddaughter was doing in her bedroom. "A bit drowsy maybe", Lisa mumbled and leaned back again. "Are you warm enough?" Jack asked.  
"I'm melting", Lisa smiled weak. She was buried under layers and layers of blankets that kept her warm when she was freezing but felt like they were smothering her as soon as she started to feel hot again. Lou opened another window and refilled the water glass. "I have to get back to Heartland to feed the rest of the pack but you call me as soon as you need anything, ok?" Lou asked. "Thank you, Lou", Lisa said. "Don't mention it!"  
"Thank you for coming by", Jack thanked his granddaughter when he came along with her to her car. "Of course. Lisa is family, even though it may not seem like I feel that way sometimes", Lou smiled. "Drive safely," Jack said, touched by Lou's words. Then he warmed up the soup Lou brought for Lisa and made himself a sandwich. He scanned the kitchen for a tablet until he finally found one. When he got to the bedroom Lisa was still awake with her phone in her hands. "Lisa, you are supposed to rest!" Jack scolded her, glad that the pills were kicking in though. "I am resting", Lisa defended herself, pointing at herself in the bed, "I am in bed at 6pm!" "That indeed IS very unusual for you", Jack laughed, "here, Lou brought some soup over."  
"Oh, she's such a sweetheart!" Lisa exclaimed and took the bowl out of Jack's hands. She didn't feel like eating at all but Jack looked so sweet with the tablet in his hands that she couldn't say no.  
"Thank you", she said and forced a bit of the soup down. Jack sat down at one of the armchairs that stood close to the bed and rested his feet on the bed. "Do you need me to cancel you meetings for the next days?" he asked, remembering that Lisa was on her phone when he walked in.  
"I just wrote an E-Mail to my assistant, she'll deal with it. Thank you, though."  
"Wow, you must feel really bad if you cancel your schedule voluntary!"  
Lisa chuckled while she placed the bowl on her nightstand: "Have you looked at me lately? I look like a swarm of mosquitos tried to eat me. I don't think I'll leave the house for the next couple of weeks", Lisa joked. "You look just as beautiful as always", Jack countered. "Liar!"  
"Well, to me, you do. Though you are outshining Georgie's rash."  
"You always know how to make me feel better", Lisa joked and then yawned. "You get some sleep", Jack laughed and stood up in order to collect the dishes. He noticed that Lisa hardly ate anything but didn't mention it. It was obvious that she felt badly enough already. By the time he got back with a cup of tea Lisa was asleep already and Jack decided to watch some TV before he went to bed too.


	2. Lost

A different spin on Season 7 episode 13, "Lost Highway" and episode 14 "Things we lost"  
It always feels like the writers avoid going into the depths of Jack's and Lisa's relationship. I don't think they got back together without ever talking about their differences, so here's my version - I hope you like it and if you do or don't: leave a comment!

Thank you, thank you, thank you dear RealTC, mmichaela, tidefn1 and guest for your kind comments on the first chapter! I really appreciated them with all my heart, they totally motivated to write another oneshot. I hope you'll like this one too, it's it little different to the first one. It's a bit choppy but I tried to avoid making it tooooo long.

* * *

Weeks passed by in France and every single day Lisa checked her post, her mails and her phone for any sign from Jack. Nothing ever came. He had been the one to persist on the fact that they weren't saying goodbye, just "until next time". Lisa had thought that that might mean that their relationship wasn't hopelessly lost, that it was too soon to lose hope. She knew that he wouldn't jump on a plane to come and visit her, especially not after their last disaster in France. But it devastated her that there was absolutely no sign from him at all. It was already time for Lisa to pack her bags again, her time in France was over and it was time to get back to Fairfield. Lisa had never been so unhappy to leave France before. She couldn't stand the thought of going back to all the places she and Jack had been together so many times, where they have created such amazing memories. _That's all in the past now,_ Lisa thought while closing her suitcase.  
When the plane landed Lisa's heart sank. For years Lisa couldn't wait for the plane to land, for years she couldn't wait to throw herself into Jack's arms. But today all she was going to do was to get a cab, get to Fairfield where no one was waiting for her except for Cinders and start the selling process of the ranch.  
Lisa had thought about it for weeks. She never would have thought that she would eventually sell Fairfield, she loved her home with all her heart. But at that point there was nothing that was keeping her there. And just the thought of running into Jack was too painful. _A clean break is the right thing to do,_ Lisa told herself while she got in the cab.

It wasn't like Lisa didn't miss Jack in France, she had missed him every day and had wished for him to at least call. But after weeks she was glad that the pain had gotten slightly more numb. Being back though felt like all the wounds were being ripped open again. Lisa had to hold herself from breaking out in tears right then and there. _Don't be pathetic,_ she scolded herself.

Seeing Fairfield uplifted her mood a bit. Her horses, those beautiful stables, her house. Lisa sighted, paid the driver and dragged her suitcases up the stairs that led into her house. She took in the familiar scent of her home. _It's good to be back, anyway,_ Lisa thought.

It was already noon, so before doing anything else Lisa made her way to the stable and greeted her four legged friends and her staff. Then she took a long hot shower, unpacked one of her suitcases, made herself something to eat and gave the jetlag in and went to bed. She slept peacefully through the night, barely noticing the thunderstorm and enjoyed waking up without the sound of an alarm buzzing like crazy. She didn't schedule any appointments for her first day back and enjoyed having a relaxed breakfast before she saddled Cinders. Lisa took a deep breath in, letting the fresh air into her lungs.  
"Come on, boy", she padded Cinders before she got in the saddle.

Lisa enjoyed the view, riding through the land she had grown up on. It would be tough to leave all of that. She was just about to let Cinders have some of that crystal-clear water from the pond when he got spooked by the electrical fence that had been brought to the ground last night.  
"Whoa, Cinders", Lisa yelled before she hit the ground. Pain made its way into her body, making her feel every bone. She tried to move but something seemed to hold her back - her body didn't responds to her instructions. Now panic sneaked up to Lisa. "Cinders", she whispered but the horse was already away. Everything had happened so fast that Lisa hadn't notice the male rider watching the whole spectacle. He had seen Cinders getting spooked and Lisa falling off the horse so he had cantered towards the woman as fast as possible.

Jack was only meters away from where Lisa was lying when he finally recognizing her. "Lisa!" he yelled and jumped off Paint.  
"Jack?" Lisa whispered. She recognized his voice right away and couldn't be more relieved to know that he was there. When Lisa tried to lift up her head her vision started to become blurry.

"Don't move, don't move", Jack rushed to her side, "that was quite a fall."  
Lisa was unable to say anything at that point. Jack noticed her drowsiness and quickly took off his jacked to support Lisa's head. Jack had seen enough concussions in his rodeo days to know right away that Lisa was probably suffering from one right now. He gave her some time to regain full consciousness. Lisa's vision became clear again and she took a deep breath in. "Ouch", she grunted and then slowly sat up with Jack's support. "You OK?" Jack asked. "Yeah, I think so. No broken bones", Lisa smiled and took her helmet off.

"We should get you to the hospital", Jack remarked when he noticed the gash on Lisa's forehead. "Oh, I'll be fine", Lisa answered but thankfully pressed the tissue Jack offered on the wound. "Do you think you can ride?" Jack asked. "Yeah, but Cinders must be miles away already", Lisa sighted. "You get on Paint. We'll get you back to Fairfield. Cinders is probably already there and if not we'll spread out and search him", Jack said.  
"'Kay", Lisa agreed and got on her feet. "You know what, I think I can walk", Lisa said while Jack put his jacket back on.  
"No way. You just took a bad fall, I'm not letting you walk back home alone!"  
"Fine", Lisa sighted, knowing that her ex-boyfriend wasn't up for a discussion. She got into Paint's saddle and felt a little stupid when Jack led them to Fairfield. The silence between them was a bit awkward. There were so many things to be said and yet so little to say.  
"So, you're back in Hudson", Jack broke the silence.  
"Jup", Lisa answered.  
"Since when?"  
"Just yesterday."  
 _I wish she would have told me,_ Jack thought but didn't dare to say. "Well, it's good to see you, even though circumstances where a bit too dramatic for my taste," Jack tried to joke.  
"Yeah, this is definitely not how I imagined my morning."

They took a couple of shortcuts and soon arrived at Fairfield where Cinders was already taken care off by the staff. He had gotten there a couple of minutes before and a group of riders was just about to spread out in order to find Lisa when they saw her on Paint.  
"It's good to see you back in one piece", Thomas commented, one of Fairfield's trainers.  
"Yeah, thank you", Lisa said while getting off of Paint, "he got spooked by an electrical fence that was lying on the ground. We should call Scott."  
"He's already on his way", Thomas smiled and Lisa thanked him for taking such good care of her horse. Then she turned towards Jack again: "Thank you so much for helping me out there. I appreciate it."  
"Of course", Jack murmured, "Maybe we could catch up some time."  
"Yeah, I'd like that", Lisa smiled and then watched Jack leaving Fairfield on Paint. At that point she didn't know what felt worse: Her splitting headache or her penetrating heartache.

When Scott got to Fairfield and declared Cinders to be alright he took a closer look at Lisa's gash and said: "I know you won't go and see a doctor. I can clean this up a bit for you if you let me?"  
Lisa chuckled and agreed and even accepted Scott's advice and spent the rest of the day off her feet. It took her a couple of days filled with nasty headaches until she finally got in her car and drove to get her mail.

Jack had spent the last couple of days with Lisa on his mind. He couldn't believe how fast the time had flown. Lisa was already back in Hudson and he had missed the opportunity to throw one of those many letters he had written her in the mailbox or to finally give her a call. He had fought with himself almost every single day she had been away: He had WANTED to call her but it had been her who had wanted the break, not him. It should be her to give him a call then, shouldn't it? On the other hand she did come back to Hudson as soon as she had heard about the heart attack. _Oh, why did I have to behave like an idiot back then,_ Jack thought. _But now she's back so that's history anyhow... - Thinking 'bout the devil,_ Jack thought when he saw Lisa standing at the mailboxes. "Hey Lisa."  
"Hey", Lisa smiled.  
"You look a lot better since the last time I saw you", Jack commented.  
"Thanks, I feel much better."  
"That's good. You staying in Hudson for a while now?"  
"No, not really. I'm selling my place. Property, horses, everything must go", Lisa explained. Even though she just said what Jack had dreaded all along Jack had to pull himself together as much as possible in order to stay calm and to not show Lisa how much her words got to him: "Well, I guess that was always the plan, wasn't it?"  
"Yeah… Yeah, I guess it was. I should go, I have a lot do. So nice to see you again", Lisa rambled, feeling unsure whether or not it was a good decision to tell Jack. He would have learned about it soon anyway, so he might as well know now, Lisa thought.  
"You too", Jack answered, "bye."  
"Bye", Lisa smiled and got in her car as quick as possible. He didn't even seem to mind that she was selling Fairfield. At least he had acted as if he was totally indifferent. _You need to move on,_ Lisa scolded herself when she noticed that Jack was taking control of her thoughts again.  
At the same time Jack was trying to tell himself that he needed to let Lisa go. If France was where she was the happiest, then that's where she belongs.

... The next days were dreadful. Lisa and Jack met again and again but every time they got together neither of them seemed to find the right words. But Amy's words got to Jack. Maybe he needed to fight more for Lisa. And when Lisa agreed to meet him at the house hope didn't seem to be totally inappropriate… Having her sitting there in the kitchen – it made home feel like… home again. And for Lisa sitting at the kitchen table again was like finally _coming home_. But neither of them said a word about their feelings and soon they were interrupted by Katie crying for Lou.

Then the road trip... it felt like such a good idea. They finally started talking again, even if it was about banalities. When the truck was out of gas, neither of them seems to mind very much...

Rain was pattering on the self-made tent that Jack had built and the fire was slowly dying. Lisa was shivering slightly, the humidity was making it's way through her clothes. "Are you warm enough?" Jack asked. Lisa had thought that Jack was already asleep. "Yeah. I'm good. I'm already looking forward to this night to end though."  
"One eagle scout you are!" Jack laughed.  
"I told you I never liked this whole `back to the roots` camping", Lisa defended herself chuckling. "Come here", Jack demanded and pulled Lisa closer. He embraced her gently but also slightly distantly. It had been a long time since they have been that close and he didn't want to cross any boundaries. The fine and typical smell of Lisa filled his lungs and immediately remembered him of all the time they had spent together. She was so close to him at that moment but he had barely ever missed her more.

The gentle touch from Jack felt so familiar that Lisa had to fight the urge to let herself completely melt in his arms. His scent, his voice, being so close to him – it felt more like home than any house she had ever lived in.

The rain started to pour down even heavier and thunder cut through the monotone sound of the rain drops. Lisa was starting to worry about Cinders but didn't want to stop the protective embrace.  
"Are you sure you want to sell Fairfield?" Jack asked just when Lisa thought that he may have fallen asleep.  
"Well, there's not much holding me back here, is there?"  
"You love Fairfield. You've worked so hard to make it a success… I just… I mean, I couldn't ever imagine selling Heartland", Jack mumbled.  
"I know. That's what made everything about us so difficult, isn't it? Me being so inconsistent…"  
"Don't you think you'll miss Fairfield?" Jack asked again, ignoring her reference to their relationship. "Of course I'll miss it. But I feel like ... I don't know, like I need to let go or something. I feel like Fairfield is stuffed with memories of my parents, my sister, Dan, just everything. It's like it's holding me back from moving on or something…", Lisa answered truthfully, glad that the darkness inhibited eye contact.  
"And what about the good memories?"  
"Jack", Lisa shifted to make some room between herself and Jack, "are you trying to make this extra hard for me?"  
"No. I'm trying to hold you back from making a decision that you might regret for the rest of your life."  
 _Like breaking up with you,_ Lisa thought but said: "I appreciate it. But I'm not rushing into any decision."  
"Well, we should try to get some sleep. God knows how long we have to wander around the forest tomorrow", Jack ended the conversation pretty abruptly.  
"Right", Lisa sighted. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep now.

The next day the rain finally stopped. Jack woke up first and carefully crawled out of the tent, trying not to wake Lisa up. He couldn't believe what he saw when Cinders was gone. _Why didn't I check whether he was fine or not,_ Jack scolded himself. Then Lisa got up and looked just as shocked as he felt.  
"What are we going to do now?" Lisa asked.  
"We should try to find him while finding a way out of this goddamn forest", Jack suggested.  
"Let's get going", Lisa sighted, "what a trip, hm?"  
"Yeah", Jack agreed.

When they finally found Cinders Jack and Lisa were relieved to see that he was alright except for the shock. Knowing that help was on the way made it possible for them to concentrate on something else than the horse. Lisa brought up the heart attack and Jack's mind was sent back to the time when Lisa came back from France to help him.  
 _"Don't you get that I was all in? I was all in, because I loved you. Not because I felt sorry for you."  
_ "Then why did you want us to take a break?" Jack burst out.  
"What?"  
"Before you left for France, after we got back from out trip it was YOU who wanted to take a break. Not me!"  
"You want to talk about that now?" Lisa raised her voice.  
"How can we NOT talk about that? I never wanted to take a break, I never wanted to end our relationship! I only agreed to take a break because I thought YOU needed to figure things out for yourself! I didn't think you would go off to France again without ever making the effort to get things back to where they were with me."  
"Are you serious? I wanted to figure things out for US! I came back from France as soon as I heard about your heart attack, I would have done ANYTHING for you! It was YOU who didn't want me!"  
"I didn't want you to be my nurse, I wanted you as my girlfriend!"  
"Then why did you never, not once call me when I was in France the last couple of month? You were even talking about trying to make it to France, I get that you couldn't do that with everything that was going on here, but why was it so hard for you to just CALL damned?!"  
"And what should I have said? That I made a mistake, that I should never have let you go?"  
"That would have been a good start, YES!"  
"You have NO idea how many times I wanted to call you, to write you, to get on a plane and make you come home with me! EVERY SINGLE DAY did I think about what I could do to get you back! But that's all in the past now, isn't it? Why don't we talk about the present for a change? Because it's YOU that wants to sell everything and move to France for good, not me! YOU are entirely giving up on us, not me!"  
"If I would be giving up on us entirely I wouldn't be here, would I?" Lisa hissed still having Jack's previous words on her mind.  
"Then why are you selling? Why did you never mention anything to me?"  
"Why am I selling? For god's sake Jack, why do you think? How can I stay in Hudson, run into you everyday when…", Lisa searched for words.  
"When?"  
"When everything reminds me of us, of the times we've spent together! Nothing is holding me here anymore!"  
"Well if that's how you feel, than why did YOU never try to get in touch with me? You didn't even tell me that you were coming back. If you wouldn't have fallen of Cinders, I would have had no idea about your return! You know how that makes me feel? It makes me feel goddamn stupid because I have been thinking about you and us all the time while you obviously didn't care enough to send me a quick message that you're back!"  
It took Lisa a while to find words: "Oh you know that's not true! I don't know why I never tried to get in touch with you... I guess I kinda waited for a sign from you... You know, after I came back from France because of the fire and then... Your heart attack... I felt like I was.. I don't know how to explain. Like I wasn't a part of the family anymore but still couldn't move on. I felt caught in between and didn't know how you felt. So... I guess I needed you to make a step in one direction or the other and when I didn't hear anything from you I assumed that you decided to make a step in _the other direction._ If that makes any sense..."  
Jack made a step towards Lisa and laid his hand on her cheek. He could see the pain written in her eyes and wanted to make it go away. To make her happy again. "It makes sense. And I'm sorry that I never got over my stubbornness... I know I should have called you", Jack sighted.  
"Well, for what it's worth: I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have given in - I should have known better."  
Jack was just about to say something when Tim, Ty and Amy finally arrived. Jack and Lisa ended their conversation and Cinders was freed within minutes.

Hours later they were finally on their way back home until Lisa told Jack to stop the truck when she got a signal. She was serious about taking the offer on Fairfield!  
Jack watched her for a while with his heart racing. This was his last chance. If she got through to her real-estate agent it was over for good. No going back. "LISA THIS IS CRAZY! Just wait until we get back in town", he yelled and took the phone out of her hands: "I don't want you to sell. Just hear me out. Maybe it is enough. Loving each other. It IS enough, I still love you and I think you still love me. We just have to figure out how our lifes fit together. I don't know how that's gonna work, only that I want it to. I hope you do to. So will you just… Will you please stay?"  
Lisa looked at Jack and couldn't believe what she heard. She had forced herself so much to accept the fact that Jack didn't want her back in his life and here he was, declaring the opposite. She didn't take back the phone. The first thing she did back at Fairfield was to take the whole place off the market. There was no place she would rather be than in Hudson, by Jack's side.


	3. The Duderanch

**The graduation – season 4 episode 4**

* * *

 **This chapter is very short but I felt like there was such a potential for a little Jack and Lisa while Lisa was dealing with the duderanch business. I hope you like it anyway!**

 **Thank you dear TC and Jessicasteenfan for commenting the last chapter, I loved reading your reviews and appreciate them so much. Thank you!**

* * *

 **„** **Excuse me. I need to catch a little air"** , Lisa said before she stormed out of the house. She took a deep breath in as soon as she got outside. Business always came kind of naturally to her, she always knew when to make and when to back out of a deal. She didn't have a family of her own and after her divorce her work began to replace the family she once had. Of course there were friends that were very dear to her heart and her sister with Ben but instead of talking about the day at the dinner table Lisa would sit in her office to go over her workday. That was until she met Jack and started to become a part of his family and started to think about the Bartletts and Flemings as her family. It wasn't always easy and sometimes it was crystal clear that she wasn't a blood relative but Lisa has learned to love the sharing at the dinner table and a glass of vine at the end of the day with Jack. That's why Lisa hadn't worried for a second about mixing business with family when she suggested to buy Lou's duderanch. _What a fool I was,_ Lisa thought. _I should have known that Tim would turn this into a fight._ The last time Lisa mixed business with family was with Dan and everyone knew how that turned out.

She thought about driving home but then remembered that she had left her keys inside the house. And she really didn't want to face Tim right now. So Lisa made her way towards the stable and didn't noticed that Jack was trying to catch up with her until he was next to her.  
"Lisa", he said and grabbed her arm so that he could turn her around.  
Lisa sighted: "I know, I know, you knew this was a bad idea. I really don't feel like talking about it right now."  
"I'm sorry", Jack murmured.  
"What are you sorry for? You have nothing to do with this. After everything with Lightning Dexter I should have known that Tim was going to turn this into a conflict. I just thought I could help Lou out… I don't need that goddamn duderanch, I just wanted to help out", Lisa rambled, taking all of her frustration out on Jack. But he didn't mind.  
"I know you do. And that's one of the many things I love about you. It's not your fault that you had faith in this deal. It's not too late to just let it go."  
The couple walked towards the barn where Lisa leaned against the wall, facing the meadows. The sun was slowly disappearing and the darkness of the night started to replace the daylight. Lisa was thinking about Jack's words, seriously considering the option of backing out of the deal. She had enough going on at Fairfield and honestly didn't need the extra amount of work. But she also really wanted to help Lou. Jack stood next to her, staring at her while she was thinking, noticing for the first time that day how tired she looked.  
"I'm not letting it go", Lisa finally said, well aware that her boyfriend would disapprove, "I promised Lou I would help her. If she doesn't want to sell anymore, I am more than happy for her. But as long as she doesn't want the Duderanch anymore, I will keep negotiating with Tim. Even if that means I might lose my nerves", she smiled and then sighted: "I forgot how nerve-racking it can be to – "  
"- mix business with family?" Jack completed her sentence laughing.  
"Yeah", Lisa chuckled, "it's just so… different."  
"And here I thought you were used to it, considering –"  
"- Dan?" Lisa said completing Jack's sentence this time.  
"Yeah."  
"Well, as you know that turned into all business and no family."  
"Luckily", Jack smiled.  
"Yeah, luckily", Lisa agreed and leaned forward to kiss Jack. He wrapped his arms around her and felt the tension leaving Lisa's body.  
"Let's finish that bottle of vine you brought", Jack suggested and together they walk hand in hand towards the house.

* * *

 **"** **Congratulations, Lisa. You bought yourself a Duderanch"** , Lou said while signing the papers. Lisa looked at her in disbelieve and speechless. Before she found words , Lou was already starting her car and left. Tim mumbled something incomprehensible and left Lisa and Jack alone.  
"Well", Jack murmured.  
"Yeah", Lisa sighted, "that didn't turn out the way I wanted it to."  
"She'll settle down."  
"Well, Jack, I don't want her to settle down. I wanted her to feel relieved and to be… happier. Not more miserable."  
"I know, Lis."  
"I should have listened to you… This was a bad idea."  
Jack didn't know what to say and laid an arm around her, "The good thing about mixing business with family: the door always stays open. I'm sure you'll figure something out that'll make both of you happy."  
"Maybe", Lisa sighted, "this is so frustrating."  
And then she had an idea.


	4. Making Peace

**Do you guys have problems with opening new reviews? They always tell me that there are new reviews found but I can see that that's not true. Weird...**

 **Thank you The Real TC, your reviews are always an honor to me! And thank you tidefn1, I totally agree with you, the way Lou treats Lisa is absolutely unbearable, she seems so spoiled and unappreciative, it's sad.**

* * *

 _Set in Season 3 Episode 3 where Jack needs a new truck.  
I feel like the show could explore the difficulties that come with a widower that has a new relationship much more. This chapter is all about how I imagine Jack and Lisa making up, I hope you like it. _

* * *

_„Is it OK that I'm here?"_

 _„It's more than OK."_  
„Good", Lisa whispered as Jack held her tight.  
„I'm sorry for talking you into buying the truck", Lisa sighted after a while and Jack let her go so that he could see her in the eyes.  
„Well, you weren't exactly wrong", Jack smiled, „C'mon, let's sit down", he suggested and led Lisa towards the porch where they sat down on the chairs.

Lisa looked at Jack, a little unsure what to expect.

„I know you were right, I know that all of you were right. My truck is, well", Jack laughed, „not exactly the newest model. It's not really that I wouldn't like a new truck that doesn't break down every two miles. It just means too much to me to simply replace it."  
„I get that Jack, I really do. There are so many things that mean the world to me. But honestly, you admitting that you need a new truck makes it even more impossible for me to understand what all of this is about. What makes it SO hard for you to let go?"  
Jack looked at his hands for a while and didn't answer. He didn't know if he could tell Lisa the truth or if it would hurt her too much.  
„Jack?" Lisa asked gently, as if she wanted to remind him of the present.  
„Sorry", Jack murmured after he realized that he had been daydreaming for too long and looked up, „I got this truck from Lindy for our anniversary."  
„Oh", Lisa whispered and felt a thousand emotions crushing down on her.  
„I'm sorry", Jack said again when he saw her face, „that's why I didn't want to say anything. You know I love you and there's nothing that's gonna change that. But this truck has been a little bit like a reminder of the past, of Lindy and Marion. Of family trips we made together, of Marion learning how to drive. It's a sentimental memory of a time that get's a little lost in the presence sometimes, if that makes any sense."  
„Oh Jack", Lisa sighted, „of course it makes sense. I wish you would have said something sooner."  
„I didn't want to hurt you. I know that my family's past isn't always easy for you either. I didn't want to make it any harder by admitting that I'm keeping this old clunker because of my deceased wife."  
„And I love you for that, I really do. And you're right, I do wonder sometimes what would have been if Lindy would still be alive. It even makes me feel bad at times because I love you so much and I am grateful for every day that we get to spend together which never would have happened if Lindy would still be alive. But she was a huge part of your life, she's Amy's and Lou's Grandmother – I can't blame you for holding on to keepsakes of a part of your life I just wasn't a part of", Lisa smiled and then chuckled, „I'm sorry for talking so much, I just want you to know that you can tell me these things."  
Jack smiled: „It's OK. And thank you. I think it's easier for me because I know that you chose not to be with Dan. But I had no choice and many, many years after Lindy's death I would have done anything to get her back", Jack admitted.  
„I know. I get that. But I think you can't even compare Lindy's death with my divorce. It's just too complicated", Lisa smiled gently, „however, I want you to know that you can talk to me about Lindy and Marion whenever you feel like it. It doesn't make me feel less loved or like I came in second best."  
Jack had no words left in that moment and leaned over the table so that he could kiss Lisa.  
„How about that truck of yours now, hm?" Lisa smirked.  
„Good question. One thing I know for sure is that I'm not keeping that couch on four wheels. But I will get a new one."  
„I'm sure they still have your old truck, we'll get it back so that you can keep it around and you'll find one that appeals to you."  
„Sounds good to me", Jack sighted relieved.  
"So, what are we going to do now?"  
"Well, we could go back. Or we could stay a little bit longer and enjoy a little time alone", Jack suggested.  
"How could I resist" Lisa smiled.  
"You could blow me away with your fishing skills once again", Jack joked and Lisa laughed out loud.  
"How dare you, Jack Bartlett", Lisa laughed, "all I wanted to do was to woo you which I obviously couldn't do by simply giving you my best smile", Lisa japed still laughing.  
Jack smirked: "A woman that has brains, the looks and the charm can be slightly intimidating for an old guy like me. A little and very cute fishing trip to show me that even you have a couple of weaknesses was just what I needed."  
"Now then, in that case it was of course all calculated."  
Jack laughed: "Of course."  
"Well, I'm glad it worked anyway."  
"So am I. Wanna go for a walk along the river?"  
"Sure", Lisa agreed and got up. Jack took her hand and pulled her around so that he could passionately kiss her before they walked down to the river.

* * *

Hours later Jack and Lisa lay arm in arm on top in the bed and cuddled under a blanket that kept them warm. They clothes were spread on the ground and Lisa shivered. It was getting cold despite the blanket and Jack next to her.  
"You are freezing", Jack realized and pulled her closer.  
"A little. But I'm too lazy to get up", Lisa sighted. Jack knew what Lisa meant, nothing in him wanted to get up but he couldn't relax when Lisa was freezing next to him.  
Without getting out of bed he grabbed his shirt and handed is Lisa. "Thanks", Lisa said and pulled it over.  
"Better?"  
"Yeah."  
"Maybe we should slowly get back."  
"Hmm, I could stay here forever", Lisa sighted.  
"Me too but I'm afraid you might freeze to death in the next hours even though it's not even really cold", Jack joked.  
"Well, I don't have that thick skin of yours", Lisa smiled.  
"Well, that's what you have me for, isn't it?" Jack asked metaphorically and pulled her even closer.  
"Absolutely."  
They lay like that for a little while longer until Lisa couldn't keep still anymore and they got dressed.  
"You wanna bring back the truck now?" Lisa asked when they started to get ready for leaving.  
"Yes, before they destroy my old truck", Jack nodded.  
"All right, I'll follow you and give you a drive home?" Lisa suggested.  
"Perfect", Jack agreed.

* * *

On the way back Lisa suddenly started honking. Jack looked in the rear view mirror and saw her gesturing wildly so that Jack stopped his car.  
"Everything all right?" Jack asked when they got out of their cars.  
"Yes, I'm fine, but look, they are selling an old truck over their", Lisa pointed to a truck that looked very similar to Jack's old one and had a big SALE sign behind the windshield.  
"I totally oversaw that beauty", Jack smiled and knew right away that that truck was going to be his new car.

* * *

"How are we getting that one home now", Lisa asked. Jack had just bought the truck and now the two of them stood in front of their three cars. "I suggest that you and I drop of that blue monster, tell them to bring my old one back home, come back here to get that beautiful _newish_ truck of mine and drop your car off at Fairfield so that you can enjoy a smooth ride with me back home to Heartland?"  
Lisa laughed: "I didn't know you had it in you, Mr. Organisation. Let's get going."


	5. The Anniversary

Set at the end of season 8 where Jack and Lisa would have had their first anniversary.

* * *

Jack couldn't believe that it had been a year already that he had married that beautiful wife of his. Lisa has been a part of his life for such a long time now that Jack felt like they were about to celebrate their tenth anniversary.  
"Nothing big, just a dinner", Lisa had said when Jack had asked her what she wanted to do on their special day. She had been buried in work the last couple of days, with helping Amy with her wedding while running her business. But Jack felt like Lisa deserved something more special and some time to relax so he had talked to Lou who offered them to take a cabin at the Duderanch.  
Jack had spent the day with making everything perfect and when he picked up Lisa at Fairfield he put on his best pokerface so that she wouldn't know right away that he was planning a surprise.  
"Hey beautiful", Jack smiled when Lisa walked out of her house.  
"Hey Cowboy", Lisa smiled back and melted in Jack's arms when he hugged and kissed her.  
"Happy anniversary", Lisa whispered - they hadn't seen each other that day until now.  
"Happy anniversary to you too", Jack murmured back between two kisses, "are you ready for dinner?"  
"I have been looking forward to it all day. It seems like ages since the two of us did something alone."  
"It sure has been way too long", Jack agreed while opening the truck's door for Lisa.  
"Thank you", Lisa smiled and sat down.  
"So, how was your day?" Jack asked while driving to the restaurant.  
"Oh, it was fine. A little unnerving but otherwise all right."  
"What happened?" Jack asked and turned his eyes away from the road for a second so that he could catch of Lisa's face. She looked a little stressed.  
"Nothing really", Lisa sighted, "you know what, I don't want to ruin our first anniversary. Let's just let it go."  
"All right, whatever you want", Jack smiled, "but you know we can talk about anything, even on hour anniversary, right?"  
"Right", Lisa smiled.  
"So?" Jack asked, eager to find out what his wife is bothering.  
"It's Dan", Lisa murmured.  
"What about him?"  
"He somehow found out that today is our anniversary", Lisa sighted.  
"And that's a bad thing? I wouldn't mind if the whole world would know", Jack joked, trying to cheer her up.  
"Well, yeah, of course I want people to know. But you know Dan, he can turn every good mood into the blahs!" Lisa stated without wanting to give away more details about the conversation she had with Dan before. It was just too disrespectful towards Jack.  
"Yes, I do know that", Jack chuckled. Nothing could destroy his good mood that day so he said: "Whatever he said, remember that he's part of your past now. If I might say, I think you did a pretty good catch with your second husband who'll never treat you the way your former husband did. He's _small potatoes_ compared to your second catch", Jack chattered cheerfully and Lisa laughed.  
"That's absolutely true", she smiled. They changed the subject and a couple of minutes they reached the restaurant where Jack had made a reservation for the two of them.  
They enjoyed the food and the drinks and each others company. "Oh, I think I really needed to get away from all the wedding and Fairfield drama for a while", Lisa sighted with pleasure.  
"Yeah, it has been a great evening so far", Jack smiled.  
"So far?" Lisa asked with puckered brows and looked attentive at her husband.  
"Well, you don't think I'm gonna drop my wife off now?"  
"You're not?" Lisa laughed.  
"Never", Jack stated. Lisa had asked him if it would be OK for him if she would sleep at Fairfield that night because she had to get up very early the next day for a business meeting. What she didn't know was that Jack had moved that meeting a day back so that they could enjoy the night without worrying about tomorrow.  
"What do you have in mind?" Lisa asked.  
"Just wait and see", Jack smirked and paid the bill and Lisa waited and saw.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Lisa laughed.  
"Keep your eyes closed, just one more minute and we're there", Jack smiled.  
Lisa kept her hands on her eyes and felt a little like a child that was playing hide and seek. Even though their dinner had been wonderful and she would have been fine with just going to bed she was happy that their anniversary wasn't over yet.  
"All right, keep your eyes closed", Jack demanded as he stopped the car. Jack got out and opened the passenger's door on Lisa's side. He took Lisa's hand and helped her out of the car since Lisa was still closing her eyes.  
"Ready?" Jack asked. He was eager to see Lisa's reaction.  
"Depends on where you took me", Lisa laughed.  
"Open your eyes."  
"Oh Jack", Lisa whispered while her eyes got used to the light. The whole Duderanch was decorated with thousands and thousands of little lights, just like the day they got married.  
"Do you like it?" Jack smiled.  
"Like it? I absolutely love it! When did you do all of this?" Lisa asked in awe.  
"I'm not telling", Jack laughed and pulled Lisa close, "but I thought you deserve much more than a dinner at a restaurant."  
"This is beautiful, thank you, Jack", Lisa smiled and kissed her man.  
Jack lit the fireplace and got all the blankets outside that he could find so that they could enjoy the scenery outside a little longer. The lights, the stars, the fire - Lisa couldn't stop taking it all in. The cuddled up close to Jack and enjoyed the silence for a while.  
"You know, we were discussing about how to fit our lives together for so many years and didn't even see that our lives do fit perfectly together if we just take the pressure out", Lisa broke the silence.  
"Yeah, that's true. Maybe being married was what we needed to make us realize that it doesn't matter where we live, where we vacation and what friends we have as long as we are together", Jack agreed.  
"All these years I thought I needed to know what was coming next for us, that there was going to be a next step. I thought, if we couldn't live together, if we couldn't go to France together, if we don't have a house together then what is it, that makes us a couple? I don't even know where that came from but since we are married I just know that our relationship is more perfect than I could ever imagine", Lisa confessed.  
Jack held her a little tighter and kissed her on top of the head: "Our love makes us a couple. Maybe loving each other is enough for us after all."  
"I sure love you", Lisa smiled.  
"And I love you."  
Lisa turned around so that she could look Jack in the eyes: "Thank you for this."  
"You're welcome", Jack whispered and kissed her, "look", he pointed out to the starry sky, "isn't that our star?"  
"I think it must be, since it's the brightest one of all."


End file.
